Histological methods for analyzing a bone-implant interface

In the field of dental implantology, the interaction of bone and dental implant is one of the most important factors for longterm stability of implants. Although many non-invasive methods, such as micro-computed tomography, have been developed to observe the 3-dimensional structures of these tissues, histological observation remains the gold-standard methodology to observe bone-implant interface. Histology can provide unique information on cellularity and dynamic indices of bone remodeling. In this chapter, we summarize both the theoretical principles and practical techniques in histology to analyze the bone-implant interface. We give a brief review in aspects of non-decalcified tissue preparation, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, and quantitative microscopy with a view to motivate histological studies in this field